Barbecue pit



April 1, 1952 z. A. HUGHES 2,591,072

BARBECUE PIT Filed April 28, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l fa Z, a. Ha m,

April 1, 1952 2. A. HUGHES 2,591,072

BARBECUE PIT Filed April 28, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 3H4) Mom April 1, 1952 z. A. HUGHES 2,591,072

BARBECUE PIT Filed April 28, 1947 3 Sheets -Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BARBECUE PIT Zach A. Hughes, New (Janey, Tex.

Application'April 28, 1947, Serial No. 744,404

3 Claims. .1

This invention relates to a barbecue pit.

An object of the invention is to provide cooking equipment of the character described whereby the meats being cooked will be exposed to the heat and smoke from the furnace uniformly on all sides and will be intermittently exposed to the flame for short periods of time in succession.

It is another object of the invention to provide equipment of the character described whereby the meats being cooked may be completely surrounded by the hot air and smoke fromlthe furnace so that they will be cooked uniformly on all sides.

t is another object of the invention to provide cooking equipment of the character described wherein the receptacles for holding the meat are rotated so as to conduce to uniformity in the application of the heat and smoke to the articles being cooked.

The invention also includes means for automatically regulating the heat and smoke applied to the articles being cooked.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide means for automatically applying the flavoring sauce to meats during the cooking process.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following specification which is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of the equipment partly broken away.

Figure 2 is averticaLsectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional viewtaken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the container supportinggears, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view of the sauce dispenser.

Referring now more particularly to vthe drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts in each of'the figures, the' numeral l designates a housing preferably cylindrical in form and composedin any selectedimaterial suitable for the purpose.

Adjacent one side of the housing there is a furnace 2 having an upwardly extended pipe leading therefrom for the outlet of the products of combustion and which is controlled by a suitable damper 4.

Mounted on the housing thereis an oven 5 which is completely enclosed and which is provided with a cover 6. This oven is also preferably cylindrical in shape to conform to the shape of 2 the housing and it is provided with a fumeoutlet 1 controlled by a suitable damper 8.

Within the oven and centrally locatedwithrespect thereto and depending from the cover; 6 there is a tubular anchor 9 whose lower endis outwardly turned and formed into an annular gear l0.

Located at the bottom of the oven thereisia rotatable pan-shaped disc I l whose upper. margin I2 is inwardly turned and declines.

This disc has a central, depending, tubular stem I3 whose upper end is externally enlarged and works through a gland [4 which is fastened to the bottom of theoven, as shown in Figure 2.

Depending from the bottom of the oven 5there is a channel shaped guard l5 which is provided with a gland l6, fastened thereto, through which the stem [3 also extends.

Secured to the stem 13 there are the upper and lower sheaves I1 and [8.

Within the housing 15 there is a conventional type of transmission [9 which is driven by means of a sheave 20 suitably mounted on the bottom of theoven 5. Aligned with the sheave 20 there is also a sheave 2! which is fixed on the shaftof an electric motor .22 also mounted in the guard l5 and operating over these sheaves and transmitting rotation from the latter to the former there is a belt 22a.

The transmission 19 contains conventional reduction gearing which has not been thought necessary to show in detail. This transmission drives a shaft 23, loosely mounted on'which there is a sheave 24 which is aligned with the sheave l3 and operating over these last mentioned sheaves and transmitting rotation from the former to the latter there is a belt 25.

Mounted on the shaft 23 there is a c1utch26 andthe facing side of the sheave 24 isprovided with the clutch jaw 21. The clutch may be shifted into and out of engagement with thejaw of the sheave 24 by a conventional hand operated lever 28 in the usualway. When clutched the sheave 24 will drive the sheave I8 through the belt 25 which in turn will drive the spindle l3and rotate the disc I I.

It will be noted from an inspection of Figure2 that the bottom of the pan-shaped disc 11 l slopes downwardly and inwardly to its center so that liquid collecting therein will drain out through the spindle l3 and beneath said spindle thereis a receiving hopper 29 having a conveyor pipe 30 which discharges outside of the housing.

' Upstanding from the disc I l and spacedapart around it are the spindles 3| and mountedto' rotate on these spindles are the container supporting gears 32 which are in mesh with the annular gear ll], so that as the disc li rotates about the spindle 13 as an axis the gears 32 will rotate about the respective spindles 3| as axes.

Mounted on the respective supporting gears 32 are the containers 33 of any selected construction, preferably pan-shaped and preferably formed of foraminated material.

It will be noted from an inspection of Figure 3 that the upper ends of the spindles 3| are reduced thus forming external annular upwardly facing shoulders on which the hubs of the respective container supporting gears 32 rest so that the containers 33 will be spaced above the disc ll to allow the free circulation of air about said containers and the containers being foraminated,

or formed of open work, the hot air and smoke will readily come into contact with the meat to be cooked.

Leading inwardly radially from the upper por ter 36.

Mounted on a suitable bracket, as 31, upstanding from the oven, there is an electric damper control mechanism 38 which is connected to the shutter 36 through the linkage 39. This switch mechanism is' connected with a thermo-couple 40, which depends into the oven 5, by means of the conductor 4|.

At the beginning of the cooking process the shutter 36 is in its upper position closing the duct 34 and clearing the opening so that the heat, smoke and flame from the furnace will directly enter the space around the tubular anchor 9, in which the meat to be cooked is located. The thermo-couple 40 is preferably directly in front of the opening 35. The cooking process will therefore begin by the heat and smoke entering the compartment in which the meat is located directly. As the cooking process proceeds the heat of the oven will increase and when a selected degree of temperature has been exceeded the thermo-couple 40 will operate to throw the electric damper control mechanism 38 and this will release the shutter 35, and it will fall by gravity into the position shown in Figure 2 to close the opening 35. The heat will then reach the articles being cooked indirectly through the duct 34 into the interior of the tubular anchor 9 and thence around the lower end of said anchor beneath the containers 33 and will circulate about the oven outside of said anchor and around the articles being cooked in the containers 33.

During the cooking process it may be desirable to apply a sauce or basting material to the meats being cooked. For that purpose a housing 42 preferably circular in form has been mounted on the cover 6 and whose lower end is formed into a hopper 43 and fitted into this housing there is aremovable container 41. The hopper 48 terminates in a downwardly directed nozzle 49 which extends-through the cover 6 and which is elongated-radially and is formed with a narrow discharge opening 50 of a length substantially equal to the diameter of a container 33. As the disc I I rotates the containers are brought successively 4 underneath the nozzle 49, and as the containers also rotate the sauce will be thoroughly distributed over the meat.

The bottom of the container 41 is provided with a central upstanding bearing 51 and rotatably mounted in this bearing there is a tubular shaft 56 whose lower end is formed into a nozzle pipe 52 which is laterally turned so that it will extend radially relative to the hopper 48. This shaft 56 has the inlet openings 53 above the bottom of the container through which the sauce in the container may enter said shaft 56 and nozzle pipe 52.

Across the top of the housing 42 there is a transverse bar 55 having a central bearing in which the vertical shaft 56 rotates.

The bearing 5| has the vertically elongated slots 5la and the openings 53 are spaced apart around the shaft 56 and may also be spaced apart longitudinally relative to said shaft, as shown in Figure 5, so that as said shaft rotates the openings 53 will intermittently register with the slots 5la, so that the sauce will merely drip from the nozzle pipe 52 into the hopper 48.

There is a controlling rod 56a fitted downwardly through the shaft 55 and having a threaded connection with the upper end of said shaft, said controlling rod forming in effect a valve to control the openings 53 by suitably adjusting said rod so that all or any of the openings 53 may be opened or closed and the flow of the sauce thus controlled.

Fixed on the upper end of the shaft 56 there is a sheave 51 and mounted in the bearings 59 and 60 there is a vertical shaft 58. The bearing 59 is carried by the housing 42 and the bearing 60 is carried by the housing I.

Fixed on the upper end of the shaft 58 there is a sheave 6| aligned with the sheave 51 and operating over these sheaves and transmitting rotation from the former to the latter there is a belt 62. 7

Fixed on the lower end of the shaft 58 there is a sheave 63 which is aligned with the sheave l7 fixed on the spindle l3 and operating these sheaves and transmitting rotation from the latter to the former there is a belt 64.

Fastened on the shaft 56 and supported on the bearing 5| there is a bearing 54 and extending each Way therefrom there is a mixer bar 65 having vertical paddles 66 fixed thereto and preferably extending above and beneath the bar 65.

The container 4! will be supplied with a suitable liquid sauce, or basting material and during the operation of the equipment the shaft 56 will be driven from the spindle l3 through the sheaves and belts above described and will rotate the mixer to maintain the sauce or basting material thoroughly mixed and this material will pass through the openings 53 and through the nozzle pipe 52 and will be delivered in the quantity required to the outer margin of the hopper 48 and will gradually drain down to, and drip through,

the elongated nozzle opening 50 onto the meat in the containers 33.

Condensate or excess liquids collecting in the pan-shaped disc H will drain out through the tubular spindle 13 into the hopper 29 and will be delivered out through the conveyor pipe 30.

For access to the interior of the oven 5 the cover 6 is provided with a suitable opening which is normally maintained closed by means of the hinged shutter 61.

The drawingsand description are illustrative merely while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Equipment of the character described comprising, an oven, means in the oven separating it into a central inner chamber and an outer chamber about the inner chamber, a rotatable support in the oven, meat containers spaced apart on the support in the outer chamber", means for rotating said support to revolve said containers, means for rotating the containers as they revolve, a furnace adjacent the oven, said furnace having an entrant Opening into the outer chamber and a duct leading from the furnace into the inner chamber and automatic means for alternatively opening and closing said entrant opening and duct.

2. Equipment of the character described comprising, an oven, means in the oven separating it into a central inner chamber and an outer chamber about the inner chamber, a rotatable support in the oven, a tubular spindle depending from the support and having a bearing in the oven and forming a drain for the support, means for rotating the spindle and support, a series of container mounted on the support to revolve about in the outer chamber as the support rtates, means for rotating the containers as they revolve, a heating furnace adjacent the oven and means providing for the circulation of hot air and smoke from the furnace through the oven about said containers.

3. Equipment of the character described comprising, an oven, a cylindrical baffle in the oven separating it into a central inner chamber and an outer chamber about the inner chamber, a rotatable support in the oven, a tubular spindle depending from the support and having a bearing in the oven and forming a drain for the support, means for rotating the spindle and support, a series of containers mounted on the support in the outer chamber, to revolve about the baffle as the support rotates, interengaging means on the containers and bafile cooperable to rotate the containers as they revolve, a heating furnace adjacent the oven and having an outlet opening leading into said outer chamber, and duct means in communication with said furnace and said inner chamber.

ZACH A. HUGHES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 835 Pierce July 12, 1838 420,891 Russell Feb. 4, 1890 814,540 Higbee Mar. 6, 1906 1,163,807 Bower Dec, 14, 1915 1,312,833 Colias Aug, 12, 1919 1,460,486 Harvey July '3, 1923 1,497,826 Zaloom June 17, 1924 1,602,650 Cook et al Oct. 12, 1926 1,733,627 Rasmussen et a1. Oct. 29, 1929 1,785,079 Grapp Dec. 16, 1930 1,822,355 Mayhen Sept. 8, 1931 1,870,476 Babcock Aug. 9, 1932 1,964,372 Tygart June 26, 1934 1,971,012 McDonald -1 Aug. 21, 1934 2,060,992 Jackson Nov. 17, 1936 2,205,914 Stafford June 25, 1940 2,314,627 Millikan et al Mar. 23, 1943 

